Donald Trump coming to power has given Europe a “last chance get its act together”, the prime minister of Albania has said.
Edi Rama, who has just secured his fourth term as prime minister of Albania, warned Europe had been “sleepwalking” and should use Trump’s presidency as an opportunity to “become a major power” on the world stage.
Referencing Trump’s comments that God saved his life “to make America great again”, Rama said: “The other half of the truth is that God saved him to give a last chance to Europe to get its act together. To not simply manage decline, but to change and take the opportunity to become a major power in a space where other powers are emerging.
“Everyone else is making the unthinkable except Europe, who is so far doing more of the same.”
Rama spoke at a panel at Wales’ Hay Festival on Saturday, alongside British journalist and broadcaster Misha Glenny, Tony Blair’s longtime aide Alastair Campbell and award-winning historian and author Anne Applebaum.
Discussing the implications of Trump’s second term as US president for Europe, Rama said: “Europe is sleepwalking. It’s a big opportunity and it’s a moment to completely turn the tides and think big.”
He added: “Preaching and talking about the moral high ground and dismissing everything else will not help us to find a way to be reborn out of this situation and to reshape ourselves. [Which we need to do] if we don’t want to see Europe shrinking and be rendered an irrelevant force whilst others are emerging.”
Hay Festival, which is spread over 11 days, is set in Hay-on-Wye, the idyllic and picturesque “Town of Books”. The lineup includes Mary Trump, Michael Sheen, Jameela Jamil, and more.
The Independent has partnered with the festival once again to host a series of morning panels titled The News Review, where our journalists will explore current affairs with leading figures from politics, science, the arts and comedy every morning.
